Widespread rumours are pushing some to skip the latest iPhone model

The latest entry into Apple’s landmark product has stirred some debate. Recent coverage of the just-released iPhone 15 series of handsets has been intense, with plenty of reviews praising the cameras, the new design and much more. Less pleasing for Apple to read, though, is a focus on two problems that seems to be drawing persistent attention.

First, the iPhone is breakable and also extremely prone to overheating, with measurements taken with an infrared camera showing temperatures as high as 47 degrees. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a few improvements on its predecessors. 

When it comes to performance, the iPhone 15 Pro shines. It handles various tasks, including graphics-intensive games and light video editing, swiftly and effortlessly. While comparing it to Android may seem somewhat petty, the iPhone undeniably delivers a smoother and more nimble user experience by a significant margin to its previous models.

But if you currently own an iphone 14, especially the pro, it’s likely that you can comfortably stick with it without feeling like you’re missing out significantly.

Brittle like never before

Thanks to this new frame, it is immediately noticeable how light the phone is. Apple has managed to trim a few millimetres off the device’s length and width while slightly increasing its thickness. 

The device should have exuded sturdiness and durability, boasting an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. However, reports on the web suggest that the titanium frame may be less durable and more prone to cracking.

To be fair, the iPhone is pretty good with the scratch test. The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a ceramic Shield up front, which Apple says is “tougher than any smartphone glass.” The front glass shows its toughness again in a burn test too without reacting to a lighter.

But when it comes to the glass back it is easily breakable with your hand. This is especially surprising because the advertised Titanium is 30 percent stronger than stainless steel that Apple used for the older Pro models.  

Allegations online are accusing Apple of intentionally designing a brittle phone so as users would need AppleCare, which has dropped from $500 to $250 for this particular product.

Too hot to handle

The issue appears to affect all four iPhone 15 models, with some owners reporting that their phones get too hot to even hold without a case.

One Korean YouTuber, BullsLab, claims to have recorded an iPhone temperature with a thermal imaging camera and when testing the phone hard, playing games and doing benchmarks, says the phone hit 47 degrees.

“My iPhone 15 Pro Max is almost too hot to touch while fast charging right now. I thought people were exaggerating, but no, this isn’t great, ” another user wrote on Reddit. ”Past 70% battery percentage, it seems to have cooled down significantly (still hot but comfortable in the hand). 25-60% was the worst by far.”

It is usual for iPhones to get hot during the first 24 hours or so after setup. But this goes beyond that, some users report the issue while not charging, including when using the phone for relatively undemanding tasks like browsing social media.

It is not likely that the overheating from the iPhone is caused by the A17 Pro chip that was built using a 3 nanometer process – the first smartphone chips to use this. This chip allows for maximum performance for Apple’s flagship product and was expected to compromise the heating system. 

But the likelier reason reported by Forbes is that the compromises made in the thermal system design to achieve a lighter weight, such as the reduced heat dissipation area and the use of a titanium frame are negatively impacting thermal efficiency.

Apple is expected to release updates that would minimise heating problems soon but due to this being a hardware issue, there is only so much that could be done. Improvements may also be limited unless Apple lowers processor performance.